Plan to expand area convention center aims to bring more visitors — and dollars — to town

The Bradenton Area Convention Center in Palmetto has 32,000 square feet of exhibit space. But with a plan in the works to expand the Manatee County facility, officials see bigger opportunities ahead.

Before the end of 2019, a groundbreaking will be held for a new Sheraton hotel adjacent to the convention center. Getting the hotel under construction is the first step in the expansion process, says Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.